A Space-Time Finite Element Method for the Eddy Current Approximation of Rotating Electric Machines

• Published in: Journal of computational methods in applied mathematics Vol. 25; no. 2; pp. 441 - 457
• Main Authors: Gangl, Peter, Gobrial, Mario, Steinbach, Olaf
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Minsk De Gruyter 01.04.2025; Walter de Gruyter GmbH
• Subjects: 35K05; 35Q60; 65M60; 65Z05; Algorithms; Approximation; Eddy Current Approximation; Eddy currents; Finite element method; Mathematical analysis; Mathematics; Maxwell Equations; Maxwell's equations; Parallel processing; Relativity; Rotating machinery; Rotation; Space-Time Finite Element Method; Time domain analysis
• ISSN: 1609-4840; 1609-9389
• DOI: 10.1515/cmam-2024-0033

In this paper we formulate and analyze a space-time finite element method for the numerical simulation of rotating electric machines where the finite element mesh is fixed in a space-time domain. Based on the Babuška–Nečas theory we prove unique solvability both for the continuous variational formulation and for a standard Galerkin finite element discretization in the space-time domain. This approach allows for an adaptive resolution of the solution both in space and time, but it requires the solution of the overall system of algebraic equations. While the use of parallel solution algorithms seems to be mandatory, this also allows for a parallelization simultaneously in space and time. This approach is used for the eddy current approximation of the Maxwell equations which results in an elliptic-parabolic interface problem. Numerical results for linear and nonlinear constitutive material relations confirm the applicability and accuracy of the proposed approach.